NEW DELHI: A crown of goddess Kali at the Jeshoreshwari Temple in Bangladesh, which was gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been stolen, The Daily Star reported.
The silver, gold-plated crown adorning the head of Goddess Kali went missing on Thursday afternoon, shortly after the temple priest ended the day's worship rituals. The cleaning staff discovered the absence of the crown later in the day.
The stolen crown was personally presented by Prime Minister Modi to the Jeshoreshwari Temple during his visit to Bangladesh in March 2021. As a symbolic gesture, he placed the crown on the deity's head during the visit.
The high commission of India in Bangladesh has expressed "deep concern" over reports. "We have seen reports of theft of the crown gifted by PM Modi to Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple (Satkhira) in 2021 during his visit to Bangladesh. We express deep concern & urge Government of Bangladesh to investigate theft, recover the crown & take action against the perpetrators," the high commission said in a post on X.
The Jeshoreshwari Temple holds great significance in Hindu mythology, being recognized as one of the 51 Shakti Peeths scattered across India and its neighboring countries. The name "Jeshoreshwari" translates to "Goddess of Jeshore".
Historical records suggest that the temple's origins date back to the latter part of the 12th century when a "Brahman" named Anari constructed a 100-door temple for the Jashoreshwari Peeth (shrine). The temple underwent renovations in the 13th century by Lakshman Sen and was finally rebuilt by Raja Pratapaditya in the 16th century.
According to Hindu mythology, the Jeshoreshwari Temple in Ishwaripur is believed to be the site where the palms and soles of Goddess Sati's feet fell. The goddess is worshipped there in the form of Devi Jashoreshwari, while Lord Shiva appears as Chanda.
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